The last couple of weeks of TV news have been something of a bloodbath as networks made the decisions to axe an awful lot of shows. ABC comedy Last Man Standing was one of the series that was cancelled, and fans did not react well to the news that Season 6 was the last. Now, there's some encouraging news on the Last Man Standing front. Production company 20th Century Fox is looking to find the show a new home on the small screen.
Last Man Standing was cancelled despite pretty solid ratings. ABC decided that it would not be profitable to bring the series back for Season 7, as the network would be responsible for covering the cost of the show, which had been previously covered by 20th Century Fox. The potential benefits were not deemed worth the actual cost by ABC, and so the comedy was cancelled. The reveal (courtesy of Variety) that Fox presidents Jonnie Davis and Howard Kurtzman are hoping to continue the series elsewhere is good news for fans.
In fact, the fans may be a big part of why 20th Century Fox is giving a push for Season 7. Fans (and political activists) began petitioning for a renewal after the cancellation was announced. Some accused ABC of cancelling the series because of star Tim Allen's openly conservative beliefs, although network president Channing Dungey has stated that the cancellation happened because the cost was high and they were looking to discontinue comedies on Fridays. A late-in-the-game renewal felt unlikely to me, but hey, if NBC could un-cancel Timeless, maybe ABC could un-cancel Last Man Standing. Well, the show isn't coming back to ABC. It could very well be back on another network or platform.
That said, fans shouldn't start planning their Season 7 watch parties just yet. The financial reason why ABC axed Last Man Standing could also discourage other networks and platforms from wanting to pick up the series and foot the substantial bill. Throw in the fact that multi-camera sitcoms just aren't in as much demand anymore, and Last Man Standing's return to television is far from a sure thing.
Of course, there's still reason to hope. There are an awful lot of networks and platforms with the potential to pick Last Man Standing up, and it's possible that the show's success in syndication could convince that there's still a sizable audience willing to tune in. Even if none of the broadcast or cable networks choose to give it a shot, streaming sites could potentially step up. Both Hulu and Netflix have been known to step in and rescue cancelled series in the past. We'll have to wait and see.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.
It's unfortunate that Last Man Standing was cancelled. However, if you are looking to add the series to your dvd or blu-ray collection, you can check that out here.
